


A Natural Fit: Soulmates AU

by QueenOfHufflepuff



Category: Winx Club
Genre: F/M, mentions all cannon couples including Aisha/Nabu but mainly focuses on Flora/Helia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-09-28 16:10:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 17,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10134725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfHufflepuff/pseuds/QueenOfHufflepuff
Summary: Scientists found a way to determine the exact moment that you will meet your soulmate. By law, at the age of 16, people are required to have a timer that counts down to this moment implanted in their wrist. Flora thinks she knows exactly who her soulmate is. But everything changes when a man with dark blue eyes comes crashing into her life. Literally.





	1. The Accident

Flora gently touched the hard plastic attached to her wrist. A timer that was counting down. Its black numbers were a constant reminder that she would eventually meet her soulmate. The law required her to have it put on her skin when she turned 16, and it’s been there ever since, counting down the seconds until a fateful encounter with someone she was legally supposed to marry.

_5 months, 1 week, 4 days, 2 hours, 36 seconds._

Sighing, Flora dropped her hand and looked at her computer screen. On it, she saw a message notification from Santiago, the man she knew to be her soulmate.

_I can’t wait to video chat tonight! Have fun at work! I love you!_

Flora smiled softly, but she didn’t respond. They’d had a fight again last night, and this was his attempt at fixing it. _Soulmates fight,_ she reminded herself as she changed from her sweats into her scrubs. _They aren’t meant to fit perfectly together._

However, even though she’d been saying this for months to anyone who asked, she knew deep down it wasn’t true.

* * *

A few hours later, Flora sat in the nurse’s break room in her pale green scrubs, flipping through _Florist Weekly_ and sipping green tea _._ She was immersed in a very interesting article about crawling ivy when the intercom blared on.

_Attention all available nurses. A two vehicle crash has occurred and two survivors are being airlifted. Please be on standby and have surgical supplies ready._

Flora hurriedly stood and rushed to Operation Room C with two other nurses. Her heart was pounding and she felt an electricity in the air. Something either very good or very bad was going to happen in that operating room, but either way, Flora felt nothing would be the same after this.

* * *

_An hour earlier:_

“Ugh, again?” Sky grunted from the backseat, glaring at the road in front of him. Up ahead, he could see that traffic was at a standstill.

Brandon, driving, laughed at his friend. “It’s not that bad. We have all day to finish the road trip and get home. What’s the rush?”

From the passenger seat, Helia teased, “To see Bloom, of course.” The two men laughed while Sky sulked. Helia, seeing the annoyance in his friend’s gesture, quickly continued. “But we’re happy for you, Sky. When do you two have to move in together?”

“Well, we met a month ago, so we have to move in together and get married within two weeks,” Sky stated.

Brandon shook his head. “That’s something I’ll never understand. Why do you have to marry your soulmate within six weeks after meeting them? That seems like an awkward beginning.” Brandon had met his soulmate before they were 18 (the age when you were considered an adult), meaning that they had much longer to get to know each other.

Helia nodded. “I’ve always thought that, too, but this is the world we live in.”

Brandon and Sky both nodded. “I heard they’re moving up the marriage and move in requirement. It’s six weeks now, but I read they’re making it two weeks for all couples who meet after the bill is passed,” Brandon confessed. He and his soulmate had mutually decided to get married, no government laws breathing down their necks.

“And when did it pass?” Helia questioned, a little panicked. His timer was set for a little over 5 months, so he hoped it would be a long process.

Sky spoke up. “According to the headlines today, the courts ruled in favor of it this morning.”

“Great,” Helia muttered, a bit deflated. It looks as though he would be married in six months. To a woman he hasn’t even met yet.

Brandon drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for traffic to clear out. Once they were through, Helia was back to drawing and Sky was reminding Brandon of which exit to take off the seven lane highway.

“Take exit 152B,” he stated. “It’s not the next one, but the next.”

Brandon got into the farthest right lane, a bit nervous. Although the traffic was at a regular speed, there were still cars all around, meaning Brandon was on high alert.

But it was too fast. Brandon saw a car veer in front of him. He tried to break and swerve, but it was too late. The cars collided.

* * *

Flora’s hands were shaking as she helped the surgeon prep for emergency surgery. One of the men in the accident, a man named Brandon, had glass stuck in his arm and neck and a broken collarbone. She hadn’t seen him yet, but she knew it was gruesome if he required surgery.

With a mask, hair and body cover, and gloves on, Flora followed the doctor into the operating room.

“What happened?” the doctor asked, speaking to one of the other nurses as they began carefully pulling the easier pieces of glass out of the man’s right arm with tweezers.

“A car swerved in front of the one he was driving. They collided and his car flipped into that ravine beside the highway just outside the city. There were two others in the car. One sustained a concussion and some bruising while the other only has a fractured wrist and some scratches, thankfully. The other car didn’t go into the ravine. A witness said they saw it drive away.”

The doctor cursed bad driving, pulling a particularly nasty piece of glass out. The man’s shirt was blood soaked on his right side, clinging to his muscular chest. The nurse who spoke quickly cut his shirt off, peeling it away so that they could check for any other injuries.

Flora stood there, holding the metal container the doctor was dropping glass into and staring at the man. Something in her stomach told her she knew him. Something about his dark hair seemed familiar, and yet she couldn’t place it. It wasn’t until she got a good look at his face that she recognized him.

It was Brandon! Her old friend Stella’s soulmate. Seeing him on the table caused a pit to form in her stomach. If Brandon was here, did that mean Stella had been in the accident, as well? She hadn’t seen them in over two years, and this is how their reunion goes?

She quickly glanced down at her timer, an anxious habit that had started ever since she and Santiago got together. Too sick with worry, Flora’s mind didn’t register the fact that her timer was now counting down from a little over three hours.


	2. Not Who She Thought

The surgery didn’t last much longer. The doctor gave Brandon multiple stitches and bandaged his arm and neck after making sure his collarbone was alright. Once out, Flora dazedly walked into the waiting room, where she figured Brandon’s family would be along with Stella. She didn’t really know how to feel or what to do after that.

However, it wasn’t the concerned parents that approached her like she expected. It was a man with blond hair and a bandage on his forehead, looking very worried and stressed. Behind him, Flora noticed an old friend.

“How did it go? Which one were you working on? Was it Helia or Brandon?” the man asked, stepping a bit closer with each question. Flora flinched a little at Brandon’s name, but hurried to answer.

“Brandon is going to be fine,” she assured him. “We gave him stitches and patched him up. He’s in a room now, resting.” She thought for a moment. “That means you are the one with the concussion. You should be resting as well, sir.”

“Can we see him?” the man questioned, ignoring Flora’s chiding. The woman Flora recognized to be her old friend Bloom approached.

“Not yet. I can bring you to him when he wakes up, which might be an hour or so,” Flora explained, looking at the clipboard in her hands. “But in the meantime, I can bring you to a waiting area closer to his and Helia’s room.”

The man nodded, looking relieved. “Thank you,” he said softly, wrapping his arm around Bloom’s waist.

Flora led them to the appropriate waiting area and went to check back in at the nurse’s station. The Head Nurse, an old woman named Faragonda, looked at her worriedly. “Are you okay, Flora? You seem exhausted.” Her voice was kind and Flora took comfort in it.

Sighing, Flora expressed her concern about her friends. She admitted that the panic and anxiousness had exhausted her during the surgery, and that she wouldn’t stop thinking of her friends all day. It wasn’t until Faragonda wiped a tear away that Flora realized she was crying.

“Oh, Flora, everything will be all right. Why don’t you go clock out early and go home?” Faragonda suggested.

But the younger woman shook her head. “I can’t leave,” she whispered. “I have to make sure everyone is okay.” The older woman nodded in understanding.

“At least clock out and change,” she suggested to Flora. “Just remember that since you are his friend, you can’t be his nurse anymore.”

Twenty minutes later, now out of her scrubs and off the clock, Flora joined Bloom and the blond man in the waiting area outside of their friends’ room.

“Is everything okay?” Bloom questioned as Flora sat in a seat facing the couple.

Nodding, Flora quietly stated, “Everything is fine. I just wanted to make sure everyone was okay.”

Bloom nodded in understanding. “Well, it’s great to see you again, even though the circumstances aren’t.” She stood and pulled Flora into a much needed hug. “I’ve missed you!” She pulled away and smiled softly at Flora. “So how have you been?”

Flora and Bloom began to catch up, and soon were joined by Stella. The three friends were soon smiling and laughing, telling stories about funny occurrences or reminiscing. It wasn’t until the man next to Bloom coughed that he was acknowledged. “Oh!” Bloom said, apologetically looking at the man and then to Flora. “This is Sky, my soulmate. We met a few weeks ago.”

Flora held out a shaky hand to Sky. He smiled kindly and shook it. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Flora. Bloom has told me so much about you.”

Bloom nodded. “All good things, I promise.” She grinned mischievously and winked. Flora laughed nervously along with the three others.

By the time Brandon was awake, Flora felt a lot better. She knew Brandon and the other man would be okay, she was sure of it. One of Flora’s coworkers came into the waiting area, telling them that both men were awake and could be visited.

Flora stood, smiling at her three friends. “Well, I should probably go,” she began, but Stella interrupted her.

“What? Why?” she questioned, standing as well. “Brandon would love to see you! It’s been ages since we all went out together! At least come say hello for a moment!”

“Well, all right,” Flora agreed, “but I can’t stay long. I have plans tonight!”

Stella and Bloom smiled happily and the four of them walked into the boys’ room. When she entered, Flora’s eyes were immediately drawn to the man named Helia. Their eyes met and Flora’s breath caught. She’d never seen a dark blue that dazzling.

“I, oh, um, hello,” Flora managed to get out, holding up her hand in greeting. However, when she did, she noticed a faint, orange glow. Quickly looking at her wrist, she saw _00:00:00_ encased in plastic staring back at her.

She was in shock. How could this be real? Her soulmate was Santiago! Not this Helia person! Jerking her head up to look at the man, she saw on his wrist the same faint orange glow. He was also gazing at his own timer. _There’s the proof,_ Flora thought sadly. _This man is my soulmate, not Santiago._

“Oh, this is amazing!” Stella squealed, smiling wide. “Oh, this couldn’t be more perfect!” She hurried over to the dazed Flora and tried to hug her, but Flora stepped away.

“I’m so sorry,” Flora whispered, gazing at Helia. The man was already looking at her, confused. Together, the five others watched as Flora rushed from the room, too shocked to run after her.


	3. Breaking Up

That night, Flora sat at her desk, staring at the Skype icon. She and Santiago had planned a video chat, but she didn’t want to speak to him. She knew she had to break up with him. They weren’t soulmates. She couldn’t take away Santiago from his true soulmate, and it wasn’t fair to Helia.

 _Helia_. The man who had been on her mind ever since she had left the hospital. She regretted leaving. She realized while she was driving home that what she had said sounded terrible. It seemed as though she didn’t want to be with Helia, or even try to be with him, but she did. She did want to try. And because she wanted to try, she had to breakup with Santiago.

“Oh, how am I supposed to do this?” Flora mumbled, clumsily tossing her body back against her desk chair. It made a rather loud and unpleasant squeak, and Flora flinched at the noise before sighing loudly.

She knew she had to break up with Santiago, and she knew she had to do it tonight. But that didn’t mean that a part of her didn’t want to. That part of her still loved Santiago, but she had to let her feelings go.

Taking a deep breath, Flora clicked the call button beside Santiago’s name.

“Hey, Flo,” Santiago greeted, his tone annoyed. “How come you haven’t been answering me all day? I’ve been texting you!”

Flora couldn’t look him in the eye, so she fidgeted with some pens on her desk. “I was, um, working, Santiago,” she mumbled. “There was a wreck, and--”

“Bullshit,” Santiago interrupted, glaring at Flora. “You’re cheating on me. Tell me all the names of the people you worked with. Tell me the names of the people in the accident.”

“S-Santiago, that’s confidential,” Flora said quietly, looking at the screen. He was angry, Flora could tell by how red his face had gotten. “But if you must know, one of them involved was a friend of mine. He survived.”

She thought maybe by telling him that, he would realize she’d had a stressful day and stop, but it seemed to make him angrier.

“He?” Santiago questioned, his voice low and his eyebrows drawn together. The way he was frowning frightened her. “So you spent all day with this old friend, huh? Is that why you’ve been ignoring me? Because you’re cheating on me with this guy?”

“N-No, it’s not that,” Flora began, but Santiago cut her off again.

“You know what, Flora? You’re a fucking slut! You’re so fucking stupid!” He was shouting now, and Flora was holding back tears. “Why did I have to get someone like you for a soulmate? When we get married, you’re only allowed to leave the house for work! Obviously the only thing you’ll be good for is making money and taking care of my children.”

Flora gasped, her heart shattering. This wasn’t how people who loved each other acted, she knew that now. Taking in a deep, shaking breath, Flora managed to get out, “We aren’t soulmates. I found mine today. It’s over, Santiago.”

She hung up as Santiago called her name, angry still, and turned off her computer.

Resting her head in arms on top of her desk, Flora breathed deeply and let the tears fall. She thought she’d feel terrible after breaking up with Santiago, but instead she felt sad, yes, but also very relieved. She’d never in her wildest dreams imagined that she would feel this way, but she did.

Sitting up and taking a deep breath, Flora smiled through her tears, still heartbroken, but this was a fresh start.

However it didn’t last for long. Her phone began to blow up with messages from Santiago. Facebook, Twitter, Skype, an email, and texts. Every message was from Santiago. On Facebook, he begged for her forgiveness. On Twitter, he called her a slut again. On the email, he asked for a deeper explanation. In her messages, he sent multiple, each one different. One called her a slut, another apologized for calling her that, and the final one called her a cheating bitch.

 _Santiago, stop,_ she typed. _We aren’t soulmates. I found mine today. Here’s proof. Now please stop messaging me, as I won’t be taking you back._

She attached a picture of her wrist, where the timer still said _00:00:00._ She figured that would be enough to at least get him to stop calling her names, but it wasn’t.

Santiago: _You’re a liar! That’s just a picture you found on the internet! Stop acting like a child, Flora. We’re meant to be together whether you like it or not._

Flora: _No, we aren’t, Santiago. I found my soulmate at the hospital today. We aren’t soulmates._

Santiago continued to message her, but Flora ignored him. She shut her phone off and crawled into bed. She decided to call Stella in the morning, ask to speak to Helia, and set up a date so they could get properly acquainted.

* * *

_Meanwhile_

After Flora had left, the five stared at the open doorway, dumbfounded. Bloom blinked, shocked by Flora’s behavior.

“Sorry, Helia,” Bloom began, glancing at him. “Flora was very shy during school, and it looks like that hasn’t changed.” She laughed nervously, hoping to ease the tension that Flora had left.

“Flora is a sweet girl, Helia,” Brandon stated, looking over at him. “She’s probably just in shock. I’m sure she’ll explain everything soon.”

Sky rested his hand on Helia’s shoulder. “She’ll come around,” Sky said. “I’m sure that right now, she wishes she would’ve stayed.”

Helia shrugged, still looking at the doorway. “I hope so.”

Stella glanced at Brandon to find him already looking at her. Her amber eyes were big as she gave him a look that clearly asked _What just happened?_

Brandon gave a slight shrug that he hoped Helia didn’t notice. He wasn’t sure what was going on.


	4. Married Already?

Two days later, Flora sat in a coffee shop, clutching her cup of green tea, letting it warm her hands. The March weather had suddenly gone from pleasant to freezing, and she wasn’t that happy about it. Letting out a deep breath, Flora gaze around, searching for Helia. She’d obtained his number from Brandon and they had agreed to meet for coffee during his lunch break.

Flora had been so anxious that she’d arrived twenty minutes early on accident.

Five minutes before 12:30, Helia walked into the coffee shop, his eyes roaming the crowd until they settled on Flora, sitting alone at a table by a window. He gave a soft smile, and Flora’s heart fluttered as she raised her hand to wave.

She stood to meet him as he approached the table, but she didn’t know what to say.

“Am I late?” Helia asked, looking a bit panicked as he notice Flora’s mostly empty coffee cup.

“Oh, no!” Flora reassured, smiling kindly. “Today is my day off, and I had nothing else planned, so I came early.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to take them back. _Great,_ she thought, _now he probably thinks I’m boring_.

“Then join me in line, I’ll get you a refill with my coffee,” Helia offered. Flora graciously accepted and the two stood in a rather long line, chatting about coffees and teas that they preferred.

When they sat back down, an awkward silence rested with them. The two fidgeted, only slightly uncomfortable, until Flora broke the silence.

“So, how’s your wrist?” Flora asked, sipping her drink and glancing at him.

“Oh, it’s all good,” Helia answered. “Luckily it wasn’t my dominant hand, so I can still write and draw.”

“You draw?” Flora curiously met his gaze.

He nodded, smiling a little. “Yeah, I’m a design manager at Red Fountain Enterprise. It’s my job to help design the machines and other things we manufacture. Anything from a yoga mat or boxing gloves to a treadmill or a four-in-one.” He sipped his drink, gazing at her. “So what do you do?”

Smiling, Flora answered, “I’m a nurse at Magix General. Most of the time I work emergency room, but sometimes I fill in for nurses on other wards.”

Helia nodded, returning her smile. “That’s interesting. I bet you have plenty of stories about that.”

Flora laughed a little before averting her gaze. “Look, Helia, I wanted to say that I’m sorry about when we met,” she said quietly, staring into her cup. “I had a lot on my mind, and--”

Helia covered her hand that was resting on the table with his good hand. “There’s no need to apologize,” he said, smiling gently and squeezing her hand. Flora looked up at him, surprised. “I understand that you were in a pretty stressful situation,” he continued, his eyes kind, “so I don’t hold how we met against you. Just know that if you ever want to talk about it, I’ll be ready to listen.”

Helia worried for a moment that he had come off too strong, maybe gone too far, but when he saw Flora blush and her shy smile, he didn’t care.

“Th-thank you,” Flora said, relief flooding her heart. “That means a lot to me.” She squeezed his hand back, trying to let him know she meant it sincerely.

Helia nodded once, her kindness giving him the courage he needed to continue the conversation. He removed his hand from Flora’s to pick up his coffee cup. “So, uh, did you get the notice?” he questioned, sipping his drink.

Flora nodded, cradling her own mug. “Yes, I did. I wasn’t aware that the law had changed, but it’s okay. Do you, um, have a day in mind?” Diverting her gaze, Flora stared into her green tea once again, the blush on her cheeks a deep red.

She’d received a notice from the Department of Marriage stating that since she had found her soulmate, they would be required to marry and move in within the two weeks from when they met, otherwise they would both receive a hefty fine. Flora didn’t mind marrying Helia, she just wasn’t ready to move in together.

“How does Wednesday sound?” Helia suggested. “We can meet at the courthouse during our lunch breaks?” He glanced at her, watching as she nodded in agreement.

“I’ll set it up and see you on Wednesday then.” Her heart pounded nervously as she looked up at him, their eyes locking. The color of his eyes, that dark, midnight blue, captivated her and she smiled shyly.

Helia opened his mouth to say something, but an alert on his phone went off. Surprised, Helia looked down at his phone to see his lunch break was already up. “I have to go back to work, but it was wonderful to meet you, Flora,” he said as he stood, putting on his jacket. “I look forward to seeing you again.” He smiled kindly, and with a good-bye from Flora, he left the coffee shop.

* * *

A few days later, as Flora was walking through the hospital’s parking garage to her car, her phone rang. She answered, but before she could even say anything, she heard Stella’s voice.

“Oh my goodness, Flora! Why didn’t you tell me you were getting married today?! We could’ve gone shopping!” Although Stella’s words sounded disappointed, her voice didn’t. Flora knew Stella meant well and didn’t actually mean to come off angry.

“Stella, I have work today!” Flora laughed, grinning as she got into her car. “Helia and I decided to meet at the courthouse during our lunch breaks.”

Stella let out a loud _humph_ , but then paused before she asked, “Wait, does that mean you’re wearing your _scrubs_?”

Flora groaned a little, knowing what was coming. “Yes, I’m wearing my scrubs, Stella! I don’t have time to go home and change! It’s 12:15, and our appointment is at 1:00!”

“Lucky for you,” Stella began, “I happen to be in the city and I found the perfect dress and heels! I’ll meet you at the hospital!” Before Flora could protest, Stella disconnected the call. Sighing, Flora went back inside and waited for Stella.

* * *

Entering the courthouse, now wearing what Stella had brought her, Flora nervously looked around for the directory. Upon finding the Department of Marriage Office, she hurried through the big building, finally finding the room she was looking for. Inside, Helia was talking to the woman behind the desk. Flora worried she had gotten the time wrong.

“I’m not late, am I?” Flora asked. She looked to Helia, but he was looking at her clothes.

“That dress really brings out the color of your eyes,” he complimented, meeting Flora’s gaze. “Such a beautiful green. . .”

Flora blushed, averting her gaze. “Th-thank you. Shall we get started?”

Helia nodded, still not taking his eyes off of her. However, when the woman behind the desk cleared her throat, the two of them faced her, both blushing pink.

“Okay, so to get your marriage certificate, you need to both sign these documents,” the woman began, sliding a small stack of paper their way. “Is there a ring?”

Helia nodded and got a small, velvet box out of his suit jacket. “My grandmother’s,” Helia said quietly as Flora offered up her left hand in surprise.

She was surprised it fit so perfectly, and for a moment, she couldn’t stop staring at it. It was a single diamond surrounded by small, light green gems. The way it caught the light was quite beautiful.

Once the paperwork was almost finished, the woman looked up at the couple. “Now, on to living space. Where would you like to move?”

Helia looked to Flora. They had decided to stay in the city, however Helia had left where up to her.

“An apartment between Magix General and Red Fountain Enterprise with an office,” Flora requested, signing her name on the final line and passing it to the man beside her.

The woman nodded. “Any other request?”

“Big windows,” Flora added. Helia raised a questioning brow, and Flora turned to him and grinned. “I have a few plants.”

“Okay,” the woman said cheerfully, typing away on her computer. “Since you’re living in the city, and the both of you have high profile jobs, we won’t expect you to have children for a bit.”

The couple blushed deeply.


	5. Moving Day

Move in day came much sooner than Flora anticipated. She expected the week to go by slowly, but it didn’t. Flora had been so busy with work, tending to her plants, and keeping Santiago away that she almost forgot about it. Luckily, Bloom had called her the night before to congratulate her friend.

That morning, Flora packed away all of her clothes, chewing nervously on her lip. She was worried about how she would fit her plants, computer, luggage, and other necessary things into her small car.

Sighing in frustration, Flora threw herself down onto her couch, letting her arm cover her face. She didn’t know how she would manage this alone! All she wanted was a nap, or maybe a nice glass of wine. Giving herself a few minutes, Flora rested, thinking about Helia and Santiago.

She felt immensely guilty about Santiago. She felt she had betrayed Helia, even though she had done the right thing and broken up with Santiago as soon as she met her true soulmate. A small part of her still thought of Santiago, but Flora always pushed those thoughts away. She had blocked him on everything: all social medias, his phone number, and his Skype. She wanted nothing more to do with him now that she realized how poorly she had been treated.

A buzzing noise brought Flora out of her thoughts. She walked over to the speaker, anxious. Who could it be?

“Flora, let me in!”

Flora knew that voice! It was Bloom! “Come on up!” Flora called and pressed the button to unlock the entry way.

Soon, Bloom and Flora were sitting cross-legged in Flora’s bedroom, giggling like school girls. Bloom had come over to help her friend pack, but it had quickly turned into a session of exchanging stories and catching up.

Flora looked at her phone, surprised at the time. “Oh no! I’m supposed to be at the apartment in twenty minutes!”

Bloom’s smiled. “And that’s why I’m here! I’ll take your plants and computer, and you can take your luggage and other things!”

Flora threw her arms around her friend. “Oh, Bloom, you’re the best!”

* * *

Hours later, exhausted from moving, Flora and Helia stood alone in their new apartment. Flora looked around, happy with what she saw. The apartment had come fully furnished, along with necessary kitchen items like pots, pans, tools, plates, and utensils. It was very modern with a black leather couch in the living room along with a nice white rug and, much to Flora’s delight, floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, bedroom, and office.

Flora made her way into the bedroom where Helia was unpacking his clothes. Her heart pounded. She’d never been alone in a bedroom with a boy before. What made her even more nervous was the fact that this man was her husband. What if he expected something?

But Flora knew Helia would never push her to do anything she didn’t want to. But still, the idea of sleeping next to him made her anxious.

“I can take the couch for a while,” Helia suggested, glancing up from his suitcase to where Flora stood leaning against the door. Flora feared she had said her worries aloud. “I can stay on the couch as long as you need me to.”

The offer made Flora’s heart skip a beat. She nodded a bit, her face red. “I don’t want to kick you out of the bed, but. . .” Helia nodded in understanding, giving her a kind smile.

“I understand. To be honest, I’m not that comfortable yet, either.” He set down the shirt he was holding and approached his wife. “I know that we’re married and all, but why don’t we just think of this as a roommate situation for now? As though we’re only friends?”

Relief flooded Flora’s heart, and Helia could tell. He wanted a relationship with Flora, he knew that already. He’d liked her pretty much ever since they talked in that coffee shop. But he could sense something was holding her back, and he was willing to wait until she was ready.

* * *

Three months went by. Helia’s wrist healed perfectly. Flora slept on the bed while Helia slept on the couch. Every other day, the couple would get lunch together. When they were both home in time for dinner, one of them would cook and the other would do the dishes. Sometimes, when Flora got home super late, Helia would be up and they would sit together in the living room as they shared stories from their day. When Helia would come home late, Flora would be watching a nature documentary or drinking wine and reading a book.

One night in June, Flora got off work four hours later than expected. Normally, she’d go in at 10 and leave before 8, but she had helped with a very serious emergency surgery of a little girl who had been hit by a car. Thankfully, she had turned out okay in the end, but Flora was still shaken.

Flora opened the door to the apartment quietly, not wanting to wake Helia, but when she entered the living room, she found him awake and watching TV.

He glanced over and instantly stood. “Are you alright, love? You don’t look well,” he said, coming to stand in front of her. Her eyes had bags under them and she was pale. She looked quite ill and Helia was concerned.

Flora nodded, feeling as though she was going to cry. “I, um, had to stay late because a surgery ran long,” she explained softly. Helia took her hand in his and led her to the couch, turning off the TV.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked quietly, rubbing soothing circles on her back. She looked very distraught and Helia didn’t like seeing her so upset.

Nodding, Flora began. “It was a little girl. She was hit by a car while riding her bike, and she had a pretty badly broken femur.” Tears threatened again as she looked up at Helia. “Oh, Helia, the little girl looked so much like my younger sister! She reminded me of Miele so much, and she turned out okay, but I . . .” A sob interrupted her.

Helia pulled her close, letting her bury her head in his chest. “Hey, everything is okay,” he whispered, stroking her hair. “She’s alright, and so is Miele. Everything is fine, everyone is okay. The little girl will get physical therapy, and she’ll be good as new in no time.”

He kept whispering kind words until Flora’s sobs subsided. When she was done, her throat felt raw and she felt even more exhausted than before.

“I’ll get you some water and Advil, and then we can watch some TV to get your mind off of it, okay?” Helia knew they both had the day off the next day, so he didn’t mind staying up late. After he went into the kitchen, Flora thought about his kindness.

Tears threatened again, but this time, they were happy ones. He treated her so kindly, and so lovingly, that Flora couldn’t believe she deserved it.

That night, Flora and Helia fell asleep on the couch, snuggled close together under a thick, fuzzy blanket.


	6. Unexpected Delivery Part I

The next morning, Flora awoke to sunshine pouring over her. She smiled softly, her eyes still closed, and snuggled closer to the warmth that was in front of her. The smell surrounding her was comforting. It was a deep, woodsy scent that had her sighing pleasantly. She snuggled even closer, burying her face into whatever was in front of her.

She froze, however, when she heard a deep chuckle, and felt something around her tighten and pull her closer. Her eyes flew open and she blinked a few times, slightly unsure of where she was. Finally, she realized she was on the couch, in Helia’s arms, and he was looking at her.

Her face flushed bright red and she leaned backwards, trying to escape what she felt was an awkward embrace. Helia, surprised by her reaction, let go of Flora and she tumbled quite unceremoniously off of the couch and onto the rug.

“Oh, Flora, I’m so sorry!” Helia apologized, standing up and then helping her up. He bit back a smile as Flora glared at him. She put her hands on her hips and let out a big breath, looking quite agitated. This caused Helia to laugh, but she then folded her arms across her chest and turned away from him, embarrassed.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” Helia said sincerely, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her. He rested his chin on her shoulder and they stayed like that for a bit, interrupted only by Flora’s growling stomach.

Helia gave a soft laugh. “I’ll make breakfast,” he suggested, pulling away and heading towards the kitchen. “How does your favorite sound?”

Flora turned, watching his back as he entered the kitchen. She hurried to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

She splashed water on her face, trying to calm down. As she was patting it dry, she gazed at herself in the mirror. Her brown hair had come mostly out of its bun and was a frizzy mess, there were bags under her eyes, and her skin looked quite pale. However, despite how she looked, she felt happy. Sleeping next to Helia seemed to almost rejuvenate her.

Entering the kitchen, Flora found Helia mixing eggs together with chopped bell peppers off to the side. In the air, she could smell turkey bacon cooking. Smiling, she sat at the kitchen table and watched as he made breakfast.

Just like the night before, she thought of his kindness and patience. He was invested in her, Flora could tell, but the guilt of dating Santiago was holding her back. She felt as though it was a wall, separating the two soulmates.

It was that moment when Flora realized she had to tell Helia. She had to get everything out in the open. Sipping her orange juice, Flora figured there was no time like the present.

As Helia set two plates down on the table, Flora avoided his gaze, focusing on the food instead. She had to tell him, dammit, and she had to tell him now.

Looking at his long, black hair, Flora opened her mouth to begin, but Helia began speaking.

“So, tonight is a kind of important event,” he began, looking up at her. “Red Fountain is having a launch party for a new line of equipment.”

“O-Oh, really?” Caught off guard, Flora froze, her fork halfway to her mouth.

Helia nodded, looking back at his food. “Yeah, it’s supposed to be a black tie party, and I’d like you to come with me, if that’s okay. My grandfather will be there, and I’d like you to finally meet him.”

Flora nodded, setting her fork down. “That sounds fun,” she agreed. “But I need to tell you something, Helia. It’s very important, and . . .”

However, Helia interrupted her, forcing a smile. “I’m sure it can wait until after this evening, yes?” Flora didn’t know how to react, so she simply didn’t. Helia took this as a yes and continued. “I need to go to the office for dress rehearsals and to practice my speech, so I’ll meet you at the entrance to Red Fountain at eight.” He stood, dumped his dishes in the sink, and hurried into the bedroom to change, leaving Flora confused and alone in the kitchen.

Shutting the bathroom door behind him, Helia heaved a sigh of relief. Flora had sounded so serious and her demeanor during breakfast had hinted at what Helia feared. He was worried she didn’t want to be with him anymore. She had pushed him away this morning when they had woken up, and she had been distant all morning.

As Helia left, he dropped a kiss on Flora’s cheek. She was washing dishes, and she dropped a plate in surprise, causing the soapy water to splash up onto them. “We’ll talk tonight, if you really want to,” he whispered in her ear, “after the party.”

Flora nodded stiffly. She hadn’t been expecting a kiss after how he had avoided her, and it left her a bit on autopilot. “I’ll see you at eight then, Helia,” she answered, turning to look at him.

His back was to her and he was opening the front door. “Eight,” he confirmed, not looking at her, and closing the door behind him as he left.

Helia drove to the office in silence. He was a bit an autopilot as well, only able to think of what Flora could possibly tell him. He knew it wasn’t good, but maybe he overreacted. Maybe it was something to do with her work, or maybe her family?

Helia entered the building, not noticing the receptionist calling for him until he got to the elevators.

“Mr. Helia!” a woman shouted, reaching out and grabbing the man’s arm. Helia looked at her, surprised. “A package came in for you, sir.” She handed him a manila envelope before returning to her desk without a word.

Tucking it under his arm, Helia rode up to the top floor, six stories up. Walking to his office, he ran into his friends Sky and Brandon.

“Helia, why are you here?” Brandon questioned, his brows knit in confusion. “You weren’t supposed to come in until four!”

Helia shrugged. “I wanted to get a head start on the preparations,” he mumbled, entering his office. Brandon and Sky followed him, concerned. Brandon knew that, ever since he had married Flora, Helia had never come in before he was supposed to.

“Bullshit,” Sky called, leaning against Helia’s closed office door. “You never come in early anymore. Not since you and Flora--”

“Leave it,” Helia snapped, angrily opening the envelope. “That’s none of your business.” He pulled out the contents, and Brandon watched as the color drained from his friend’s face.

“Woah, are you okay?” The two stepped closer, noticing Helia’s shaking hand. He seemed to be holding photos, and by Helia’s reaction, they weren’t good ones.

Dropping them on the desk, Helia sat in his chair, shaking his head slowly as panic set in. “I don’t . . . I don’t understand . . . what?”

Brandon stepped forward, finally getting a good look at the photos. His heart caught in his throat as he saw several pictures of Flora and Helia, each taken from a distance. Some were of the two of them and others were only of Flora. In one picture, Flora was walking through an empty parking garage, her light green scrubs and brown hair the only color in the fluorescent lights. On the back, written in red marker, was a message.

_She is mine. If I can’t have her, no one can._

Helia sucked in a short breath, his eyes round with panic. “Those were the scrubs she was wearing last night.”


	7. Unexpected Delivery Part II

* * *

Brandon instantly got on the phone. He called Stella, asking her to go to Flora and Helia’s place. He didn’t explain much, only that Flora didn’t need to be alone. Brandon asked her to bring Bloom as well, to which Stella agreed.

Together, the three men sat in Helia’s office, shocked and slightly afraid. Helia didn’t want to alert Flora and upset her. He had already done that enough this morning. Instead, he looked to his friends.

“We’ll take these to Timmy,” he suggested, scooping up all of the pictures and stuffing them back in the envelope. “Maybe he can find something.”

An hour later, Timmy had scanned each of the pictures and was carefully examining them one at a time. Helia stood over his shoulder, nervously chewing his lip and pacing every now and again.

Finally, at around three o’clock, Timmy came up with something.

“There! In the reflection of the store window!” He pointed, showing Helia and the others what he was talking about.

On the computer screen, Timmy had zoomed in on a picture and clarified it. Flora and Helia were eating lunch at their usual coffee shop, but with the enhanced reflection, everyone in the room could clearly see a man with a camera aimed straight at them. Although they couldn’t see his face, they could see his shaggy brown hair, tanned skin, and, from the way he was holding the camera, a tattoo on the side of his hand.

“I’ll call a friend at the police station,” Sky said, pulling out his phone. “We need to alert the police anyway, and maybe he can run a criminal record search on the tattoo?”

* * *

_Meanwhile_

Flora sat in the apartment with Bloom and Stella. The three girls were talking about their relationships, exchanging funny stories. However, it was mostly the other two talking. Flora sat quietly, lost in her thoughts about this morning.

“You okay, Flora?”

The question came from Bloom, and the redhead rested a hand on Flora’s shoulder. Nodding, Flora sighed deeply, wondering if she should explain. She wanted to tell someone, anyone except Helia, about how guilty she felt.

However, as she opened her mouth, a loud knock came from the front door. The girls looked at Flora curiously, but Flora didn’t know who it was either.

Cautiously, Flora looked through the peephole, but all she saw was the hallway.

Opening the door, Flora looked into the hall. Seeing nothing at first, she glanced down, noticing a beautiful bouquet of a dozen red roses. Bringing them inside with a smile on her face, Flora looked up to see Bloom and Stella smiling at her.

Flora set them on the table in the kitchen, looking at her friends. “It must be an apology from Helia,” she assumed, looking back at the flowers. “He kind of blew me off this morning.”

Finding the card, Flora opened it, expecting maybe an apology note, but what she got instead had ice run down her spine.

_I’ll see you soon._

_-S_

“Oh, what does the card say?” Stella questioned, smiling and looking over Flora’s shoulder. “Wait, S? Who is S?”

Flora shook her head. Her heart felt as though it had stopped. Her hand began shaking, but her eyes still focused on the little card.

“Flora? Flora, who is S?” Bloom questioned, setting a hand on Flora’s shoulder again. At first, she was afraid that her friends would judge her. She was scared that they wouldn’t want to be friends with her anymore.

“Flora, if there’s something going on, we’re here to listen,” Stella said, standing on the other side of Flora.

Taking a deep, calming breath, the brunette nodded. “Let’s sit down in the living room. This is a bit of a long story.”

Sitting on the black leather couch, Flora told her friends everything. She told them about how she had met Santiago online, how she’d fallen in love (or at least thought that she had), and about their breakup when she had met Helia.

“So that’s why you apologized when you met him,” Stella whispered thoughtfully, gazing at her friend. Flora was relieved to see no hate or malice in her eyes.

Nodding, Flora looked at her hands in her lap. “As soon as I met Helia, I felt guilty. I feel like I’ve betrayed him. I was so sure that Santiago was my soulmate, but I was a fool.”

“Flora,” Bloom called hesitantly, “how did you figure Santiago might be your soulmate?”

Flora looked over at her friend. “It was about a month after we met. He asked how much longer I had left on my timer, and I told him. He told me he had the same. Even sent a picture as evidence.”

“So you said it first. Is it possible that Santiago was lying the whole time?” Bloom’s question seemed harsh, but Flora took it in stride.

At first, she wanted to answer ‘no’ immediately, but then she began to think. Their fights had started soon after they got together. He had somehow had a hold over her, claiming that she was his. He had always wanted to know where she was, who she was with.

Nodding slowly, Flora’s eyes got wide with realization. “He probably was,” she admitted quietly. “I thought he was just scared I wouldn’t wait for him, but this all makes so much more sense.”

Stella sighed, leaning back against the couch and folding her arms across her chest. “It seems to me,” she began, “that this Santiago person might have been admiring you from afar, and then tried to trap you in a relationship with him.”

“What, like some kind of stalker?” Flora asked, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

Stella nodded solemnly. “Flora, he knows where you live. You said he lives across the country, but this is evidence that he’s here in Magix City.”

Flora’s eyes got round as it finally dawned on her. Bloom pulled her friend into a hug while Stella went to the windows.

“This is really serious,” Stella said, eyeing every other building she could see. “We need to tell the authorities.”

Stella turned in time to see Flora nod and pull away from Bloom, wiping away a tear that had fallen. “I know, but I also need to tell Helia everything first. I’ll tell him tonight, after the party at Red Fountain, and then we’ll go to the police station first thing in the morning. I’ll call and have someone fill in for me at work.”

Stella’s amber eyes got big. “Oh my goodness! The party! I _forgot_!”


	8. The Truth

At 8 o'clock, Flora, Stella, and Bloom stood in the lobby of Red Fountain Enterprise. Flora had tried getting out of it, but Bloom had assured her that she would want to be there for at least an hour. She felt sick to her stomach, knowing that Santiago was out there, somewhere, probably watching her right now.

Looking around nervously, Flora took in the vast amount of people waiting for the party to start. There were waiters walking in between and through throngs of people, carrying trays of champagne or finger foods. A lot of women were wearing very fancy and nice gowns, making Flora feel out of place in her green and white floral summer dress. She didn't feel as though she belonged, and that drove her insecurity with Helia further. They were married, yes, but that didn't mean she could just step her way into this world filled with fancy dresses, big announcement parties, and champagne that would cost her an entire paycheck.

Helia, Brandon, Sky, and Timmy stood across the room, not having noticed the girls yet. They were whispering quietly amongst themselves about what to do.

"You have to tell her," Brandon instructed, but Helia shook his head.

"I don't want to scare her. I'll just go to the police in the morning myself. She's already upset about something else, I don't want to add to it."

His friends saw the flaws in his logic, but before they could point them out, Helia left to go find his wife.

The rest of the night was awkward, to say the least. Flora and Helia were each on edge, looking for any excuse not to talk to each other alone. Flora hardly noticed when Helia left her side to go up onto the stage until he began speaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm glad you've all come to witness the launch of our new line. But before we get into that, our CEO would like to speak for a moment about what Red Fountain is truly about and what our goals are as a company. Please welcome our CEO, Doctor Saladin."

The lobby was filled with light applause as an older man with long, white hair took Helia's place at the podium on stage. Flora expected Helia to leave, but he instead stood off to the side, hands clasped behind his back.

Saladin thanked everyone and then dove into the history of Red Fountain, and why he founded it. His speech lasted a while, but it wasn't boring. He had a way of captivating the audience with facts and also funny anecdotes.

Flora soon became captivated by the old man's words. He had intellect and a suaveness that seemed familiar, but Flora simply couldn't place it. As she listened, she learned that the launch was about an Eco-friendly line. Each piece of padding, upholstery, or mat was made from recycled goods. The metal pieces in the equipment line were also recycled, old metal had been melted down and recast.

The news of this brought a smile to Flora's face. They weren't wasting materials that could be used for something else with this line. A step in the right direction, in Flora's opinion. Saladin ended his speech by saying, "We hope that by the time my grandson takes over, our company will only be using recycled materials to make new ones."

Applause erupted as images of the line showed on the large TVs placed throughout the room. Flora was happy to hear that she and the CEO had the same opinions on being environmentally conscious. Helia joined her and, much to Flora's surprise, so did Saladin.

"Flora," Helia said, taking her hand in his. "I'd like you to meet my grandfather."

Flora's eyes opened wide in surprise. "N-Nice to meet you," she said nervously, shaking Saladin's hand.

"Nice to meet you as well, young lady." Saladin smiled kindly at her, and Flora noticed he had the same midnight blue eyes that Helia did. Saladin glanced at Flora's left hand, noticing the ring. He smiled fondly, as though remembering something long ago. "The ring looks beautiful on you, my dear. Cornelia would agree with me on that, I'm sure of it."

The three of them talked a bit longer, and in that short period, Flora noticed the respect and adoration Helia had for his grandfather. "I would love to stay and chat more," he said as someone approached, "but I'm needed elsewhere." He looked to Helia. "And you, young man, if there is ever a problem between the two of you, I suggest fixing it quickly."

And with that, Saladin walked back into the crowd, many people coming up to shake his hand and congratulate him.

Flora's eyes were wide. Had he just read her mind? Or was their body language that obvious? Helia wondered the same thing as he turned his attention to Flora.

"Would you like to head home?" he asked softly, squeezing Flora's hand.

Flora nodded, squeezing back. "I have something important to tell you," she said quietly as the two headed for the doors.

Once home, Flora slowly walked into the kitchen, trying to decide if she needed a glass of wine to give her some courage. Helia followed, a knot in his stomach. He watched as she pulled out two wine glasses and a bottle of moscato. She uncorked the bottle, but didn't pour.

Sighing heavily, she looked at Helia. She figured it'd be best to just do the 'rip-it-off-like-a-Band-Aid' method.

Chewing her lip, Flora studied Helia. He was watching her patiently, though it didn't go unnoticed that he was nervous. There was slight panic in his eyes, but Flora thought he was doing a good job of trying to hide the fact that he was scared.

"I thought I was in love with someone else. Before we met."

Helia's mind seemed to go blank. All he could do was stare at her, not saying a word. He tried for words, but only came out with "I, um . . . What?"

Flora hung her head and recorked the wine bottle. "I met a man . . . online. I thought he and I were soulmates. I thought I loved him." She glanced up through her fringe at him to see his reaction. "Until I met you."

He sat down at the table and put a hand over his nose and mouth, rubbing downwards roughly. For a moment, he didn't say anything. Flora felt as though her stomach were in her throat. She waited for his response. When his mouth opened, Flora felt as though her stomach would bottom out, but all he said was "I think I'll take that glass of wine."

Flora poured two glasses and put the wine away, her heart heavy. She sat across from him and handed his glass to him. Other than his mumbled 'thank you,' they sat in silence, avoiding each other's gazes and drinking, until Flora remembered it was bigger than just her. She and Helia could both be in danger.

She set her glass down and took Helia's hands into hers, causing him to look at her. "I thought I loved him, Helia, but I was wrong. I cut off all communication with him the day that I met you, but now I fear that . . ."

"That he's stalking you?" Helia finished, his face a bit stony. Flora was surprised, but she nodded.

"How did you guess?"

Helia filled her in about the photos and the message even though he didn't want to. She told him about the roses and the card. He saw the pain, embarrassment, and shame on Flora's face, and he hated it.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, putting her head in her hands. "I'm sorry. I'm so, _so_ sorry. I was played like a fiddle. I was tricked. I was a fool." She took a deep breath and looked up at him. "I don't expect you to forgive me, but I just want you to know—"

Helia cut her off by standing. He came around to table to stand in front of her, took her hands, and pulled her to stand in front of him. "I forgive you."

He wanted to be angry with her, but he wasn't. At first, he was. He was so angry he couldn't think straight. But when he saw her face, the shame and guilt in her eyes when he was telling her about the photos, he knew that she was genuinely sorry. He knew she hadn't meant to hurt him. And that's why he forgave her.

"You . . . you forgive me?" Flora asked, confusion crossing her delicate features. "But I thought you'd be mad." She was so sure he'd have been upset that his reaction had surprised her.

Helia sighed, and it was as though a weight lifted off his shoulders. He smiled softly. "At first I was," he admitted. "But you were doing what you thought was right, and then corrected your mistake when you found out you were wrong." He squeezed her hands. "Plus, I know your stance on soulmates."

Flora nodded quickly, still a bit shocked. "I would never cheat on my soulmate." It seemed as though the wine took her filter off and her shyness fell away like a blanket, giving her a courage and boldness she normally didn't hold. "I love you too much," she whispered, looking into his beautiful dark blue eyes.


	9. Letting Go

Helia stood in front of her, his eyes wide. Flora knew what she had said. She wasn't drunk, she'd only had one glass of wine, but that one glass had seemed to give her the courage she needed to tell him the truth.

He blinked once, twice. For a moment, Flora's heart began to sink. Had she said it too soon? They hadn't known each other that long, just a few months. Even though they were married and soulmates, she didn't expect him to love her back. She hoped he did, though.

After what felt like forever, Flora lowered her eyes. She began to step away, but Helia squeezed her hands. As soon as she looked up, his hands were cupping her face and his lips were on hers. The kiss was gentle and quick. Before she knew it, Helia was pulling away.

Her cheeks were flushed, as were his. She looked up at him, her breathing turning slightly heavy. He brushed hair away from her face and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. Flora tentatively rested her hands on Helia's shoulders. He looked into her beautiful green eyes, seeing the love she held for him in her gaze.

Helia kissed both of her cheeks before whispering, "I love you, too." He lowered his mouth to hers, but this time Flora was ready for it.

Hearing him say those words had ignited something in Flora. Some kind of strange desire she had never experienced before. She met his mouth eagerly, winding her arms around his neck to pull him closer.

His hand caressed her lower back, keeping her in place as the two kissed. Flora felt as though she could stay in this bliss forever. Their mouths moved together in a harmony Flora hadn't thought possible. She dug her hands into Helia's hair, loving the silky, black tresses. Helia nibbled on her lip, sending a pleasant shiver down Flora's spine. She had never before felt like this. So adored and . . . wanted. It was as though a line had been crossed and there was no going back.

Eventually, the two broke apart, but Helia kept kissing along Flora's jaw, trailing fire igniting kisses along her neck and collarbone. At one point, between kisses, Helia muttered into her neck, "Say it again."

Flora hummed in pleasure, her head tilted away so that he had better access and her eyes shut. "I love you, Helia."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Helia lifted Flora up, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. He kissed her again, this time on the lips, and began walking towards the bedroom.

Flora didn't realize where they were going until she felt the soft sheets of the bed against her back as Helia laid her down. She broke away, surprised and a little panicked, and that seemed to bring Helia out of the spell that was everything about Flora.

"I'm sorry," he apologized quietly, putting all of his weight on his hands so that he was hovering over Flora. "I don't want you to feel forced. We don't have to do anything if you don't want to." He felt a bit ashamed. Obviously by bringing her in here, he had freaked her out or made her uncomfortable.

He planted a soft kiss on her forehead, but when he went to stand, Flora caught his arms, causing him to look back at her.

She smiled softly and Helia could see her cheeks turning from pink to red.

"I want to," she said quietly, moving so that she could prop herself up on her elbows. Helia stared at her, shocked disbelief clear on his face, and Flora giggled nervously. "Well, we're married and we love each other, so . . . why not?"

Helia gave a short, nervous laugh of his own. "Are you sure?" At Flora's nod, Helia grinned. He stood, stepping away to close the door and turn the bedroom light off. The soft, orange and blue lights from the city now lit up their room. Helia pulled Flora up to stand, one hand around her waist, the other holding her chin so that she had to look at him.

"You're beautiful, Flora, and I can't believe that I got lucky enough to be your soulmate," he said quietly, lowering his lips to hers. Flora stood on her toes to meet him, and as Helia unzipped her dress, she began to unbutton his shirt.

* * *

The couple laid next to each other, both breathing heavily as they came down from the ecstasy they had just been in. They were both covered in sweat and the smell of sex in the air made Flora blush. She smiled and looked at her husband. She rolled onto her side and propped herself up on her elbow, and traced a finger along his collarbone as he looked over at her.

Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "When can we do that again?"

Helia laughed, causing Flora's cheeks to darken. "I'm glad it was as good for you as it was for me," he teased, grinning. Flora narrowed her eyes playfully, getting a mischievous smirk of her own. Helia would be lying if he said it wasn't sexy.

Leaning towards her, the two met for a tender, loving kiss.

Pulling away, Helia noticed a troubled look passing across her features, and he tensed up, fearing he had done something wrong. "What's the matter?"

Flora sighed and flung herself back into the pillows. "I'm just worried," she said quietly. Helia at first panicked, but soon quickly realized what she was talking about.

"About Santiago?" he guessed, propping himself up so he could look at her. She shivered a little and nodded, not looking at Helia. "Hey, look at me. I promise you, he won't hurt you."

Flora smiled a little but it soon vanished. "I'm worried about you, too," she admitted. "I don't want him to hurt you." She brought her hand up to cup his cheek, looking at Helia with love in her eyes.

Helia gave a laugh, trying to comfort her. "I'll be fine. I was in martial arts training pretty much since I was born," he reassured. "Nothing bad is going to happen to me, and I swear to you, I will always protect you." He took her hand by the wrist and kissed her palm. "I'll always be here for you. We're together. Now and forever."


	10. The Calm Before the Storm

It was early October. Flora and Helia had both settled into a very cautious routine of always looking over their shoulders. Helia would take her to work and take her home. She rarely met up with her friends anymore, and the only time she actually went out was when the couple went grocery shopping.

At first, their relationship had been fine. Wonderful, even. But now, months later, it was starting to stress them. Because the two were on edge, they would snap at each other unintentionally or try to pick fights, but it was always quickly resolved for the most part. Part of this strain on their relationship had come from the Department of Marriage office.

The couple had received a notice a month ago that, quite honestly, made Flora livid.

* * *

_Mr. and Mrs. Zhao:_

_It has come to our attention that the two of you are approaching your six-month anniversary. We would like to extend our congratulations! We here at the Department of Marriage office are very happy for you._

_However, we would like to remind you that children are expected in your relationship, unless of course one or both are unable to reproduce (If this is the case, please contact the number listed below). Since you two will reach your six-month anniversary soon, we would like to inform you that due to the_ Childbirth, Wellness, and Growth Act _, a child is expected within the next year of your marriage._

* * *

The letter continued on about how to verify pregnancy, who to contact in case of a miscarriage, and other things. The couple had sat down together to read it, and when it became clear what it was about, Flora expressed her annoyance over having her body controlled.

She didn't remember exactly what she said, but it was something along the lines of "Can you believe this? They are requiring me to bear children!"

Helia had taken Flora's reaction badly, asking, "So you don't want to have kids with me?"

Flora's face had turned red, and she had quickly tried to diffuse the situation, stating, "Of course I want kids with you, I just don't want the government telling me when."

But even with the explanation, he was still snippy and short from time to time, and it made her frustrated. They'd had several other fights as well. Lost keys, money budgeting, and even radio stations. She had thought for sure that once they'd been intimate, they wouldn't argue over petty or unnecessary things and they would be more mature with their disagreements, but now she realized how wrong she was. She realized she had been immature to believe that sex fixed all of their problems. It was never going to, and her naivety made her cringe just thinking about it.

Rolling over, Flora gazed at Helia's sleeping form. His back was to her, and his hair was spilling across the pillow. He was taking deep, even breaths, letting Flora know that he was sound asleep.

Sighing, Flora carefully climbed out of bed. She and Helia needed to work past their problems. Pulling on one of his old sweatshirts and a pair of jeans, Flora figured that getting some fresh air might help her think. She tied her long brown hair up into a bun, grabbed her keys and phone, and left the apartment.

While walking through the lobby of the apartment building, Flora pulled the hood up over her head, and looked at the ground as she exited the building.

She walked through the quiet streets lost in thought. There were still people out, as it was only midnight, but the sidewalks weren't crowded like they were at noon. Neon lights from bars, hotels, and parking garages painted the concrete in various colors. She took off her wedding ring, examining it as she thought about her marriage to Helia.

Helia had been nothing but kind, caring, forgiving, and protective of Flora. He's been understanding ever since they first met, and she hoped that that would never change. Even with everything going on, he still treated her like normal, save for the few times their anger or frustration got the best of them.

Flora only planned to walk a few blocks, turn around, and then walk back. She figured that would clear her mind, and if it didn't, she would at least have some alone time.

Suddenly, panic seized her throat and her skin began to crawl.

_Wait. I'm alone._

Quickly looking around, Flora let her hood fall as her head jerked in different directions. She didn't want to be obvious, but she knew Santiago was still out there. She knew he was after her. Yet she had stupidly gone off, alone. A deep ache of dread formed in her chest.

Shaking her head, Flora turned and made her way back to the apartment, shoving the ring into the pocket of her jeans as she went. The entire walk seemed to last forever, and she felt as though eyes were watching her every move. Each time she passed the opening to an alley, she quickly looked down it and darted passed. At one point, she saw some shadows move, and hurried her pace to get home.

By the time she reached her apartment, she was basically running. She burst into the lobby, getting strange looks from the night manager and a maintenance man, and rushed to the stairs. When she finally got to the floor of her apartment, she felt exhausted, but she didn't stop. She ran all the way to her apartment door.

She was relieved to see that it was untouched and still locked. Breathing a sigh of relief, Flora let herself in and locked the door behind her.

She was safe.

Making her way through the living room to get to the bedroom, Flora noticed a lamp had been turned on. Figuring Helia had gotten up and was worried, Flora turned to go to the bedroom, opening her mouth to call out his name.

But the words died in her throat. Standing in front of her was Santiago. And he had a gun aimed straight at her heart.

"I told you," he whispered quietly, his voice rough and scratchy. "If you won't be mine, you won't be anyone's. And for your betrayal, you and your dog die."

Flora swallowed, not knowing what to do. Her heart was beating rapidly, and she felt as though she was going to throw up. He was going to kill her and Helia.

_Oh no, Helia!_

What if Santiago had already killed Helia? What if he had gone in, shot him, and then waited for Flora to rush back home when she realized her mistake? Helia knew all kinds of martial arts. Flora knew that the only way for Helia to be killed was to be shot while sleeping.

Flora's heart shattered. She felt hot tears fall down her cold cheeks, but she didn't move. She stared at Santiago, pain and hurt clear on her face.

"Don't look at me like that!" he whisper-shouted, jerking his head to look down the hall at the bedroom door. "You can't look at me!"

Flora averted her gaze, wishing she had the strength to be defiant and look her killer in the face, but she didn't have the energy. Helia was dead, but at least she would be with him soon.

"What did you do to Helia?" she asked, gazing at the couch to her left.

She heard Santiago scoff. "Nothing yet," he taunted. "I plan to kill you and pretend to run away, and when he comes in here to see what happened, I'll let him see you, dead on the floor with blood all over you. Then he'll know what it feels like. He'll know what it's like to have everything you love ripped away. He'll understand what it's like to lose you, and then he'll understand what it's like to lose his life after I shoot him."

Helia wasn't dead? Hope filled her chest, but she didn't have time to be happy. She heard a click and felt cold metal press to her hairline. She didn't know much about guns, but she knew that the noise was the safety being taken off. She had to think fast.

"Wait," she whispered. "If you want him to lose me, take me with you."

"Shut up!" he shouted quietly, moving the gun away from her face. "You don't want me. You're just trying to save him!"

Flora shook her head, looking up at Santiago. "No, I'm not! I've missed you, Santi, and I've just been too scared to leave Helia." The words tasted like acid on her tongue, but she knew she had to say them. She took a deep breath and continued softly. "I got a notice from the Department of Marriage. Helia and I are supposed to have children, but I don't want his kids! I don't want to do that to you. I don't even wear the ring!" As evidence, she held up her left hand and let him see she didn't have the ring on. It was still in the pocket of her jeans.

Santiago shook his head, aiming the gun at Flora again. "No! You broke up with me! You married him!"

Flora took a bold step forward and dropped her hand, her heart pounding. "I was wrong, Santi. I thought I would grow to love him, but I was wrong! I've loved you this entire time." She took a few more steps forward and hesitantly reached up, touching Santiago's face. "I still love you," she whispered. "I never stopped loving you."

"Really?" Santiago questioned, his shoulders relaxing. The gun was held loosely in his hands. Flora nodded, and Santiago broke out into a wide grin. "Then let's go. We have to leave, to run away together. The police found my hotel room, but I've been living at the old storage rooms." He pulled Flora into an embrace. "We can stay there for a while and decide on where to go. How about Solaria? That country isn't too far from here, and once we're there, the police can't touch me."

He pulled back, gripping Flora by the shoulders and smiling broadly. "Won't it be great?" He turned away from her, heading towards the front door. Flora quickly got the ring out of her pocket and held it in a clenched fist.

Flora made her head nod and she forced a soft smile onto her lips as tears still fell from her eyes. "Let's go, Santi." She dropped the wedding band onto the mat as she closed the door.


	11. The Plan

Flora wasn't sure how long she'd been gone, but she knew it was for several days. Santiago had taken her to an old, abandoned storage facility where he had been living out of a metal storage container. He had blindfolded her when they approached, so Flora knew that he hadn't believed everything she had said.

In the container, a small, dirty mattress was pressed up against one side, and against the other was a square table, where glass jars and bottles littered on and around it. Flora recognized many of the bottles to be beer or liquor.

At the moment, Flora was sitting on the mattress, still wearing her jeans and hoodie from the night she had left. Her hair was ratty and oily, and she knew she stank to high heaven, but she didn't care. Anything could happen to her as long as Helia was safe.

Santiago had taken her phone when they had arrived. He'd turned it off and thrown it into the corner of the room. Flora hoped he had forgotten about it, as that's how she planned to escape, but so far, Santiago had not left her side.

One evening, a commotion came up outside. There were several dogs barking and the sound of heavy footsteps. For a moment, Flora thought it was the police, coming to rescue her, but when Santiago spoke, her hope got a bit smaller.

"The dog fighters bring me food," he said, standing from the mattress and heading towards the door. "They always bring some drugs, too, so we're in for a fun night."

Within the next few minutes, the container felt super cramped to Flora. Several men and a few women were standing around, some in lawn chairs they had brought. Each of them had a bottle of beer in hand, and Flora felt her nerves bunch up every second.

"So, what'll you do with her, now that you've got her back?" one man asked, nodding towards Flora, but still looking at Santiago.

The room fell silent and everyone gazed at Santiago. He grinned a little, enjoying all of the attention. "I plan to leave the country, maybe head towards Solaria. I've got family there that would love to help two young people in love."

The man who originally spoke laughed and nodded. "I bet!" he exclaimed, patting Santiago roughly on the back. "How do you plan to leave? Need any help?"

Santiago nodded a little, sipping from his beer bottle. "I would take the train, but the only problem is there are alerts out with Flora's description." Santiago wasn't paying attention, but Flora saw a man with magenta hair stiffen. She gazed at him curiously, unnoticed by anyone else, as Santiago continued. "So what I need to do is steal a car, but I don't have the things necessary."

The first man laughed again, loudly. "My boy, don't worry! I know someone who owes me! The same one who provides these little money-makers." The man held up a small, plastic baggy containing several bright green pills. "This little chemist owes me a lot, and I know just what to do. Expect a car by morning." Santiago smiled gratefully, and the man continued. "Now, of course this is my final debt to you being paid off, correct?"

Santiago nodded. "Yes, sir, of course. Consider the vehicle your last and final payment."

The man turned to the one with magenta hair. "Riven," he stated, pulling out his phone. "You will be accompanying me to our friend's house. Unfortunately, he shot my last companion, so you better not screw this up and spook him."

"Of course, sir," the man named Riven said, bowing his head a little. "I'll be ready to meet you whenever you need me."

"Ah, reliable as always!"

The rest of the night passed very slowly to Flora. She stayed awake, watching as everyone slowly trickled out of the storage unit. One by one or two by two, everyone left until it was just Flora and Santiago.

In celebration of leaving the next morning, he had drunk entirely too much, and was now drunkenly babbling on. Most of it was nonsense, and it wasn't near Flora, so she tried to entertain him as little as possible.

"Ya know," Santiago slurred after a moment of silence, leaning against the metal wall opposite the mattress. "I know you don't love me." Flora tried not to react, but her eyes went round. "Oh yeah, I'm not _stuuupid,_ Flora! I know you still love Henry!" His words were angry and his face was red. Flora stood up, wanting to physically defend herself if it came to that.

This seemed to make him angrier, though.

"You think I don't see how sad you look?" he asked loudly, flinging an arm out for emphasis. "I know you still love him!" He took a swig from the bottle he was holding. "That's why," he continued, narrowing his eyes at her, "I'm gonna kill us both tomorrow. Drive us right off a bridge."

Flora gasped, her heart stopping. She had to fix this. She had to get out. Helia was safe, but she had to think of herself, too.

"S-Santiago, of course I still love you," she assured, taking a step towards him. "I'm just sad to . . . leave my friends, that's all. I told you I don't love . . . Helia."

It had been a long time since she had spoken his name, and she worried she wouldn't be able to get out of this situation because of the way her voice cracked when she said it.

But it seemed as though Santiago didn't notice. He glared at her, drank from his bottle again, and opened his mouth.

"Prove it!" he shouted, lumbering towards her. "Make love to me tonight, and you live!" Flora stepped around so that her back was no longer to the mattress. Her stomach bottomed out as the two half-circled each other. Her entire body began shaking, and she felt tears pool in her eyes.

"No," she whispered before she could stop herself, stepping backwards so that her back was now to the wall. Glass bottles skidded and clattered across the concrete floor as she shuffled backwards.

"See?!" He glared at her, his face pure anger and hurt. He blinked a few times, and then tilted his head to the side a bit, examining her. A sinister smile crept across his lips, and it made Flora's skin crawl. It seemed as though he wasn't as drunk as he acted. "If you won't make love to me, I guess I'll just have some fun with you before I kill you, then."

He stepped towards her slowly, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a little baggie. In it, Flora could see the same green pills the man before had had.

Before she could react, Santiago was in front of her, forcing her mouth open and dropping two on her tongue. She tried to spit them out, but he held his beer bottle to her lips, tilting it up and forcing her to drink and swallow the pills.

Panicking, Flora reached out, grabbed the nearest item, and swung it into Santiago's right temple. Glass shattered everywhere as he staggered backwards, releasing Flora and dropping his own bottle.

"You bitch!" he shouted, clutching his bleeding temple with both hands. Without thinking, Flora grabbed another bottle and hurled it across the room towards him.

He tried to duck, but that only helped Flora's bad throw. The bottom of the half-full vodka bottle hit him square on the forehead, splitting skin. He stumbled backwards, groaning in pain and shouting curses.

Flora threw one more, this bottle still unopened. It hit Santiago in the left eye and caused his head to jerk backwards and slam into the metal wall behind him.

He collapsed in a heap on the mattress, unconscious.

For a moment, Flora was shocked. But it only lasted a second. She quickly opened the door to the unit and ran like hell. She didn't know exactly where she was, but she knew she was in the city. She ran a few blocks, turned a few corners, and stopped to catch her breath in an alleyway.

Heaving a great sigh, Flora looked around, hoping to assess where she was.

But there was a problem. She couldn't read what any of the signs said as her vision was getting blurry. She felt dizzy and light headed, and her heartbeat seemed to be going into overdrive.

Realizing what the cause was, she quickly shoved two fingers down her throat, purging herself of the pills. Once she was done, she stood, bracing herself against an alley wall.

She tried to collect her thoughts. If she couldn't tell where she was, she would simply ask. Someone had to be out now. Maybe she'd be lucky and a police patrol man would see her. Santiago had said that there was a missing person's report out, right?

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Flora fought away the dizziness and stepped back onto the sidewalk. She didn't even make it a whole block before she began stumbling. She looked around, searching for someone who could help her, but the sidewalks were empty. She turned in a circle, still searching, still hoping to see someone.

But she saw no one. The barren streets seemed to mock her. She hurried along, not even sure which direction she had come from originally. She was now in a stumbling run, just wanting to find another person.

She felt alone, and she was very afraid. What if the pills killed her? She didn't know what they were. What if Santiago woke up, and was seeking hate-fueled revenge? What if she never saw Helia again?

A harsh sob came out of her mouth as she gripped a light pole, resting her forehead against it. She felt as though she were going to throw up, and the dizziness only kept getting worse.

Flora felt her knees give out, but she never hit the ground. Someone grabbed her from behind, catching her by her underarms.

Tilting her head back, all she saw was pink hair before her vision went black and she fell unconscious.


	12. Reunion

When Flora woke up, she felt weak and drained of energy. Even though she was awake, she still didn't open her eyes. She could hear a steady _blip_ -ing sound, and she smelled lavender and something sweet.

_It smells familiar._

She took in a few deep breaths, trying to place the scent. That was the air freshener that she and the nurses used at Magix General. And she would recognize the sound of a heart monitor anywhere. She was in the hospital? Why? The last thing she remembered was running through the streets, though she couldn't remember why she was doing that either.

Opening her eyes, Flora took in the empty hospital room. There was a window to her right, and it seemed as though she were in a private room as there were no other beds. The chair on her left was empty, but it was pressed right up against the edge of the bed as though someone had been sitting beside her.

Helia entered the room at that moment, his hair damp and pulled back. But he was wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt. Flora was confused, as he hated wearing sweatpants in public, yet here he was.

Flora tried to move to sit up, causing Helia to finally notice that she was awake.

"Oh, not so fast, love," he said quietly, hurrying to her side. "You've been out for a while; you might exhaust yourself."

"Out for a while?" Flora echoed, relaxing back as Helia handed her the remote to the bed. Her throat was dry and her voice came out scratchy. "How long?"

Helia took the chair next to the bed, taking Flora's left hand in his. "You've been in a medically induced coma to avoid shock from the drugs that Santiago forced you to take. They put you under as soon as they found you early Monday morning. It's Thursday evening."

Flora looked at the covers as her memories came flooding back. Santiago had held her captive for days, confessed his plan to kill them, and then attempted to rape her.

"How long was I missing?" she asked quietly, still not looking at Helia.

He squeezed his wife's hand. "Ten days," he whispered, hoping that she didn't notice that he was shaking. "You were missing for ten days before you were found."

"Who found me? I remember escaping, but after that it's hazy." She heard Helia sniffle and closed her eyes tightly. Was he crying? It sounded like it. Her heart felt heavy as she squeezed his hand back.

Taking a glance, Flora watched Helia's face as he told her about her rescuer.

"His name is Riven. He was working undercover with the police as a member of a gang to track a new street drug called Biter to its origin. Your paths crossed, and he recognized your name. He called in where you were anonymously, but by the time the police arrived, you were gone and Santiago was unconscious with blunt force trauma to the head." Helia paused here, glancing at Flora, love and pride in his eyes. His tears threatening to leak didn't go unnoticed by Flora, but she was on the verge of tears herself.

"If it was anonymous, how do we know it was him?" she asked, confused.

"Riven was on his way back to the storage room to make sure you were safe when he found you, stumbling through the streets and about to pass out."

"How do you know all of this?" She was relieved that he did, but these details were awfully specific.

Helia smiled softly, squeezing her hand again. "Riven is an old friend. He left me a letter explaining everything that had happened."

Flora nodded slowly. "I understand. But where is he now? I want to thank him."

Helia kissed her knuckles. "He had to leave. He faked his undercover character's death at a shootout between the police and the headquarters of the Biter manufacturer. He's gone into hiding and we can't contact him. The letter explained everything." He paused, gazing at her. "Would you like to read it?"

Flora nodded quickly, and her heart beat monitor spiked in anticipation. Helia grinned, relieved to see her alright and looking healthy. He stood, still holding her hand, and kissed her forehead. "I'll let you read it later. I should probably go tell the doctors that you're awake."

* * *

A few days later, Flora was discharged from the hospital. She was visited by Helia's friend Timmy, Stella, Bloom, Brandon, and Sky, but Helia stayed by her side except for going home to change. On the day she was set to leave, two of her coworkers that she was close with snuck her a small cake that said _We love you!_ in cursive.

She had given her police statement the same day she had woken up. Santiago was currently in Magix City Prison, awaiting court.

The car was silent as Helia drove them home. He drove one handed, his right hand grasping Flora's left. Classical music played softly in the background, and Flora enjoyed the calmness it gave her. She closed her eyes and squeezed Helia's hand gently. She was glad to be back home, back with Helia.

* * *

Back at their apartment, Helia led her inside, gently coaxing her to the couch. The way he was being gentle with her emotions, the way he was quietly asking if she needed anything or wanted to watch a nature documentary, reminded her of when they first moved in together. Back then he was gentle and caring, wanting to get to know her better. And now that he knows her, now that he's seen her at her ugliest and knows her secrets, he's still being as gentle and caring as back then.

As he prepared dinner in the kitchen, Flora sat on the couch, lost in memories of their first few months together. She remembered their first night together, when he had offered to sleep on the couch until they were both ready. She remembered the nights they would spend together until midnight passed right here on the living room couch, talking and laughing and falling in love.

Falling in love with Helia hadn't been obvious to Flora. No, she'd thought it was only companionship for a while. It wasn't until that night that they had fallen asleep on the couch together for this first time, the night Flora came home distraught and on the verge of an emotional breakdown, that she realized she loved him as more than a friend.

Looking back, she knew she had begun to fall for him long before then, but she couldn't place exactly when it began. All she remembered was when she finally realized.

After dinner, the couple lounged on the couch, curled up together as Helia watched a show and Flora flipped through a gardening magazine. Even though there was an article about rare orchids being found, she couldn't focus.

Sighing, she set it aside and snuggled closer to Helia, drawing a thick, grey blanket up over her legs and lap. Helia wrapped his right arm around her, pulling her closer. His left hand grasped her own, and he studied her fingers. On her ring finger, a small tan line from his grandmother's ring had formed.

"You know," he said quietly, kissing the tan line, "the police tried to tell me that you left me, at first. They said it was possible that you left on your own, that you were getting away from everything. But I knew you wouldn't do that." He took a deep breath as Flora gazed up at his handsome face, the light from the television casting strange shadows across his sharp, attractive features.

"But the cops who I talked to first didn't know about Santiago. They weren't familiar with the case, so I reminded them, probably a little too loudly and a little to angrily." He gave a soft smile before reaching and grabbing something off of the side table.

Turning back to her, Helia held her left hand delicately in his own. "When I found this, I knew what had happened. You had been taken, and when I saw you left this, I knew why." He slipped his grandmother's ring back on his soulmate's finger, where it belonged. "You left with him willingly. To save me."

"I didn't want him to hurt you," Flora admitted quickly. She sniffed, wiping away a tear with the heel of her hand. "The things I said to convince him to let you live and to take me away instead, I don't think you'll forgive me."

Helia shook his head, wiping away Flora's tears. "I love you, Flora. I know you only said those things to survive. I won't hold that against you."

Flora smiled lovingly, looking up at her husband. "And I love you, Helia."

Flora leaned forward and kissed him, knowing that from here forward, their future together would be a lot less complicated.


	13. Epilogue

Five years had passed since Flora's kidnapping. It had taken a while for Flora to get used to being unafraid of going outside, but she eventually began to cope. It took four months for Flora to drive to and from work by herself without feeling anxious.

During the trial, Flora had to relive every moment again and again. At first Santiago had pled not guilty on all parts, but when the jury was about to convict him, he pled insanity. He was sentenced to five years in a federal prison across the country, and twenty in a low-security psychiatric prison in that same area. Flora had a restraining order against him. The judge ruled that Santiago couldn't even live within Magix City limits if Flora was still there.

She'd developed severe anxiety because of the incident and trial. Around a month after Flora came home, Helia got her a kitten to help her anxiety attacks. She'd named her Coco, and whenever Flora needed her, Coco was curled up in her lap in an instant.

After a while, they decided to adopt a puppy. However, while on a trip back to Flora's home country, they found a friendly dog wondering the woods and had adopted him instead. Flora named him Amarok, and he often made a mess, but that was alright with Flora. He was a handful, but she appreciated every time he made her smile (which was often).

Because of the incident, the Department of Marriage office put Flora in counseling for a year. Thanks to the counselor, Flora received a formal request to be exempt from the law requiring her to have children, as the counselor found her unready and "unstable" to have a child. And because of her story, the news brought to light how unfair the child law was, and it was quickly dropped. This led to other laws being redacted, leaving only the law that required soulmates to get married.

It was New Year's Eve, a little over five years after the kidnapping.

Amarok and Coco were curled up together on the rug between the coffee table and the couch. It was around 6 in the evening, and Flora and Helia were getting ready for a party at Stella's lavish apartment. Every year, Stella held parties for the holidays and for everyone's birthday, but this year she'd made it sound extra important. She'd even planned it so that everyone from their old college friend group could attend.

Helia stepped out of the shower as Flora put the finishing touches on her makeup. The brunette looked at her husband, grinning mischievously as he wrapped a towel around his waist. He grinned back, walking up and dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

"So are you almost ready?" he asked, using another towel to dry his long hair.

Flora nodded, pulling her curled hair into a full, messy ponytail. "I just need to put my dress and shoes on."

The two got dressed, and as Helia zipped up the back of her dark green, sparkling dress, he asked, "Are you ready to see everyone? It's been a while since we've seen Musa."

Flora nodded, grinning. "I hope Aisha is there, too. I haven't seen her since she went on her research exploration with Nabu after graduation."

Helia laughed, nodding as he pulled a suit jacket on. "I can't believe we always miss the ones that they show up to!"

* * *

Once at Stella's, the couple joined their friends in the living room. Flora sat with a very pregnant Bloom on the couch and chatted idly about her first born, Travis, who was with Bloom's parents that evening. Tecna, Timmy's soulmate and one of Flora's old friends, soon joined them.

"So, Brandon, where are Angelica and Ansley?" Tecna asked as the men came to seat themselves around the room.

Brandon grinned, thinking about his daughters. "They are currently at Luna's house. I swear, that woman is the only one who can get them to get along for longer than two hours."

The group laughed, enjoying each other's company. Not long after, the doorbell rang, signifying the arrival of another guest. Stella opened the door to reveal Aisha and Nabu and Musa standing in the hall outside the apartment.

After greeting Aisha and Nabu with hugs, Stella welcomed Musa with another, whispering in her ear, "I have a good feeling about tonight." Stella hadn't failed to notice Musa's timer only had five minutes on it, and by the looks of how nervous her musically gifted friend was, neither had Musa.

"So is that everyone?" Flora asked Stella, separating from a hug with Aisha. Sky came back inside from the balcony, stuffing his phone into his pocket and nodding to Helia.

The men looked at each other, sharing secretive smiles. Flora's eyebrows knit together as she looked to Helia. "Am I forgetting someone?"

"No, love, of course not," Helia said, standing and approaching her. "We just wanted to surprise you with something we think is long overdue."

Still confused, Flora looked at each of her friends. The men were in on the secret, she knew that, and looking at the rest of her friends, she saw she was the only one in the dark. "What do you mean?"

But before anyone could answer, a knock sounded on the door.

"And that's him now!" Stella cheered, hurrying to the door.

"Him?" Flora asked quietly, turning to face Helia. "I don't understand . . ."

Turning at the sound of footsteps, Flora's eyes widened as she saw who was approaching. A tall man with broad shoulders and magenta hair.

"Riven?" she questioned, her voice soft.

"Hey, everyone," Riven said sheepishly, not really liking the attention. His hands were shoved into his pockets, and he shifted from foot to foot.

"It's good to finally see you again," Helia said first, coming up to his old friend and embracing him. Riven hugged him back.

"I'm glad she's okay," Riven said quietly. "I never knew what happened after I took her to the hospital."

Stepping away from the hug, Helia smiled sadly and was about to fill him in, but Musa came out of the kitchen, asking, "Hey, who else is here?"

Everyone watched as Riven's left wrist and Musa's left wrist glowed pink for a brief moment. Musa swallowed and Riven's posture stiffened.

"Hi," Musa said quietly.

"Hey."

* * *


	14. World Explanation

Hi, everyone! This is just an explanation of the AU world and its laws, because I know there are _lots_ of questions!

The first thing I'd like to address would be divorce.

Divorce is rare in this AU, only about 5-10% of couples get divorced, compared to America's 50%. Now, some couples never grow to love each other, and instead are best friends who divorce and obtain "widow" status. (I think the government would use it as an umbrella term.) Actual divorce in the case of abuse, mistreatment, cheating, or other things result in "widow" status as well. The abuser (obviously) gets sent to prison.

In the case of people like Santiago, they do have soulmates. In Santiago's specific case, I picture that he just really doesn't care about his timer, and thoroughly convinced himself that Flora is his soulmate after he saw her for the first time and began stalking her. There are cases where this happens after a person's timer freezes (meaning their soulmate died before they met) and they go crazy, but Santiago is a rare case, where he's basically just crazy from the beginning.

Santiago's soulmate is alive, meaning he hasn't met him/her yet. I imagine his timer to still have a few years, and probably since he went to jail, it's only gone up.

As for the laws, this is tricky for me. I believe that there would be laws in place regarding child-bearing, marriage, living arrangements, and probably laws that prohibit cheating. The child laws are incredibly specific. An example would be in the chapter that they get married, the clerk says, "You both have high profile jobs, so we won't expect children for a while" or something to that extent. This is a law/act that states that the demand a job has on a person relates to when they have a child. It's an algorithm developed by scientists (haven't they done enough?) where they've calculated the perfect amount of time it takes for the new couple to become acquainted and settle into their new lives depending on the rigor their job requires.

An example would be Flora and Helia. They were given a year and a half because of Flora's stressful nursing job and Helia's high rank in his grandfather's company.

Another would be if two doctors were soulmates. They would probably be given about two and half to three years.

This is invasive, but not as invasive as it could be, which is why is stayed for so long.

The child-bearing law was removed because, once Flora's experience came to light, more and more women and men came forward about how they thought the law was unfair that the government was making the decision that _everyone_ had to have kids, whether they wanted to or not.

The move-in law was also removed. People wanted the choice of when, or even if, they wanted to begin living together.

The only laws that stayed (regarding soulmates) were the marriage law and the timer law. The marriage law was taken down a few notches. I imagine they removed the requirement to marry after two weeks, and have instead put it to a year or two. I also imagine they have decided to give people the choice to marry their soulmate. As for the timer law, it is still required that every 16-year-old get them implanted.

I hope that clears up the questions and that I didn't cause more confusion! I'm so thankful that you all took the time to read this story and I appreciate all of the feedback! If you have anymore questions, feel free to shoot me a message, and I can answer you and update this little page!


End file.
